Housing is not just about apartments or homes, high rises or condos. The soul of our communities is the people that live in them.

For Durham and Orange Counties to be diverse, rich, vibrant communities, housing has to be accessible to people from all backgrounds, not just to the wealthy.

Housing affordability is a policy choice. How should our leaders approach the question of affordable housing in North Carolina and in Durham and Orange counties? 

We can and should spur our communities and our leaders to do more on this vital issue that is only getting tougher every day. We hope you’ll sign up and join us for a virtual forum on January 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. to keep this important conversation going.

This forum is co-hosted by Carolina Jews for Justice, the People's Alliance, Carolina Forward, and Triangle Blog Blog.

We have an incredible lineup of panelists.

Stella Adams is the CEO of S J Adams Consulting, which provides community education in fair housing/fair lending issues; promotes community involvement in fair housing/fair lending issues and performs research and policy development in the areas of fair housing, fair lending, and access to capital for all. Stella is a nationally recognized expert on the Fair Housing Act and its implementing regulations. She is an “Activist” who believes in the struggle for Civil and Human Rights.

Matt Hartman is a journalist from Durham focused on the intersections of politics, culture, and economics. He is a contributing writer at The Assembly and has written for The New Republic, Jacobin, the Ringer, INDY Week, and elsewhere, often about housing and development. He is also a DataWorks NC board member, a former Durham for All member leader, and a former co-chair of the local Democratic Socialists of America chapter.

Blair Reeves is the Executive Director and a co-founder of Carolina Forward, a statewide public policy think tank dedicated to a fairer, more just and prosperous North Carolina for everyone.

Penny Rich served on the Town of Chapel Hill’s Telecommunications and Technology advisory board and was appointed by the town to the OWASA board of directors where she served 6 years and held the Vice Chair position. In 2009 elected to the Town Council in Chapel Hill, and in 2012 was elected to the Orange County Board of County Commissioners where she served 8 years, the last two as chair. Penny continues to serve her community as a Deputy in the Estates and Special Proceedings Division of the Orange County Clerk of Superior Court. She has been published in Cary Magazine, Gourmet Magazine, INDY Week, Southern Neighbor and News14.

The panel will be moderated by Jeremy Borden, a longtime former journalist who saw the deep effects of the aftermath of the housing crash as a reporter in the Virginia suburbs for the Washington Post in 2013. He now works as the executive director for a nonprofit called Beacon Media.